The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-01-08
SIN AND DEATH.
Or. cURTlss' NOTES ON THE SUM-
DAY SCHOOL LESSON.


Sim"
p.raCisc Lost 1t is ono of the most uni
versll traditions of the human race that
mai originally enjoyed state OF innocence
aul La-1incss which he has somehow lost;
m alnols some Of the nations (Aryan
Is c'-o found tho b2li2f that the world Is
growing worse. 1t would seem rs though
tho eyes of all peoples were turned lonSinSly
bac,, 10 Paradise as something which they
would Gladly roGain The Scriptures how
evcr. Gcc free from those grotcsquc repre-
sensations which We find of the fall III the
Persian and other literatures.
Chaos and Satan. Some commentators,
rclyin,: on obscure hints in the Bible, have
seen in Gen i, ., the wreck of a spiritual
world, once the abode of Satan and Of the
ANGELS who kept not their own principally
Jude V, 6, Revised Version. This world,
thay maintain, was matcriali2cd by God in
order to make it the substratum of now
creation described in Gen. l. ~. But OF
this there is no adequate evidence Satan Is
intlco called in the New Testament tho god
of this age, and the prince OF the power OF
tho air. There is, however, no proof that
he had any connection with this earth be-
fore tho time indicated in our lesson since
we have no right to say that Cod did not
create chaos, and therefore that 1t must
be tho work of Satan.
Tho Crisis in Human Ilistory.-Tho third
chapter OF Genesis marks crisis IL human
history. Whatever explanation may DC
given of this narrative, that history from
this time on takes different turn, and
Coils verdict regarding man is of an en-
tirclv different sort from that which we
find in Gen. i, 81 The serpent in the pas
sare before us, as well rs in ancient Persian
and other traditions, introduces this crisis.
TIRE LESSON.
; The Image of Satan ". n.-Wo have
seen in the last lesson that there is glori-
fled human form, which was fitted to be the
outward expression of the image of God
in which man was created, ana whlch was
the mode in which the Angel of Jehovah
appeared, and also our Lord himself. Inc
proper IMAGE for the arch enemy OF TOD
and man is the most cunning OF the reptiles
the serpent. Satan is not mentioned in this
passage, but his work is described in such
a way that we should recognize him even II
he were not pointed out in later writings.
There are only two cases i'll which ami
mails arc mentioned as speaking-hcre where
the serpent speaks by his own power, and
in the story of Balaam, where God gives an
ass the power of speech that he may rebuke
selr-willcd and covetous prophet.
The Woman Tempted.-He approaches
the woman, as more guileless and coniidlnS,
if anything, than the man, and by an in
genious question casts an imputation on
Gods coodness-'Y hath God said, Ie
shall not eat of every tree of the garden"'
In other words, Is it possible that God has
said, Ye shall not eat Of any tree OF the gar
den? He secures just the answer which he
desires. The woman says that they are
permitted to cat of every tree of the garden
but one and concerning that one God
has said: aye shall not eat of it. neither
shall We touch it, lest ye die" Tho exact
time is not specified in Gen ii, II, when they
should die for the word day is used in the
same general Specification as in " 4 OF the
sa,ns chapter. Death is simply regarded as
a result Of eating the forbidden fruit, just
as the death penalty in some states il the
result of tho crime Of murder, although
there are cases where long time intervenes
between the sentence and tho execution.
t,atan's Lie Tvs. 4, 5l.-The serpent,
hayi aS secured the statement that he desires
by rousummate altiiice, boldly denies the
tru,h Of Gods word--"Ye shall not surely
dic:n that is. he makes God n liar, and nc
cuses him of jealousy withholding from
them tho same kind of knowledge that he
has, forbdding them to eat of the tree;
since he adds, "for God doth know that i'll
the day We eat thereof, then your eyes shall
be opened, and ye shall be as gods" IRE
vised Version, which is to he preferred las
Cody, "knowing God and evil" This
statement of the serpent was indeed half
true, but it was also half false. Death did not
come at once, and their eyes We're opened.
Their knowledge, however, brought them
only shame and disappointment, as all hui
man knowledge does which seeks TO solve the
problems of existence without divine
revelation Such knowledge leads to de-
SPAR Man finds that he is utterly ignorant
Of those thin~S which he desires to know.
Hence in religion he becomes az s :ostic
and in philosophy a pcssimist. Mca with
out God Gro like the babes III tho wood,
who know that they have lost the way home,
and arc hungry, tired and full Of fears.
Such is man when lie lets so the divine hand
and seeks to determine for himself tho laws
of his own being and destiny.
Disbcicving God &. C).-TLc woman in
believing the serpent Lisbclioycd God. She
seems 10 longer TO have had fear Of death,
and therefore did not fear to digcboy Gods
command. The temptation addressed It
sell to her senses and her intellect. She saw
% that the tree was good for food; (9)
that it was a delight to the eyes Revised
Version; ~ that it was to bo desired to
make ono wise Her sin, which had its
genesis in unballef, was twoGold-.Q) she
herself diaohcged, C9 shc tempted her hus-
band to disobcy. This illustrates the self-
propagatmg character of sin. II does not
stop with the transgressor. 1t seeks TO make
others trlnsgressors. Israel Is first ~ seed
Of evil doors" then corrupters of Others.
Mans Puuishm mt Tvs 1913 .-The sorest
part of mans punishment was self-intlicted.
The question is sometimes asked why God
should have visited such terrible punish
ment on man for simply taking the fruit of
the forbidden tree. as to curse the earth and
drive him from the garden. This .arises
from radically wrong conception of the
nature and consequences Of sin. Man as q
free moral agent must choose for himself.
He had the power to choose to obey God. II
he had always chosen to obey him, there
would have been harmony; but it was nc
ordinary sin when the woman, by disbeliov'
ing God, made him a liar Il John Y. lO),
and not only did counter to his Will, but also
became q child of the devil by to npting her